What a surprise.
I prided myself on my courage, yet a sudden chill crept down my spine. It was unavoidable, not when standing before someone like her.
The first thing I noticed was her jet-black hair. Most people with black hair would reflect some light, but hers seemed to absorb it completely. It was unnaturally long, easily extending several meters. The strands flowed down her body, spreading like seaweed in stagnant water.
Her face remained hidden, obscured by unkempt bangs, but her figure was smaller than I'd expected. She looked like a child, though I doubted appearances meant much in her case.
"It's been almost forty years since I've had a guest." Her slow, languid tone betrayed no hint of hostility.
My instincts had been on high alert since I encountered this mage. This is... Something's wrong.
I rubbed my damp palms against my clothes. This wasn't the oppressive aura of absolute power I'd felt from the Iron-Blooded Lord or Assad, nor was it the awe of facing a divine being like a demon king. This was a different kind of pressure.
For now, I bowed my head respectfully. "I am Luan Badniker."
Despite my formal introduction, she responded with a gruff tone. "In that body... I know the Badniker blood flows through your veins. What I want to know now is how you solved all the questions. It wasn't something that could be solved with intellect alone."
Her words weren't awkward, but they carried an odd, distant quality as if she hadn't spoken to anyone in years.
I suppose it's not strange if I'm her first guest in forty years.
I couldn't help but wonder if the last visitor had been the Iron-Blooded Lord.
In any case, her attitude wasn't overbearing, and she didn't seem to try to intimidate me. Yet, I couldn't afford to let my guard down.
I gathered my thoughts and answered slowly, "I have always been fascinated by forgotten times and unwritten histories."
" Hmm. " The mage tilted her head. "That fella Delac, I thought he might've lost his mind when he first mentioned his child. Yes. At least you have some skill."
I'd met a few who referred to the Iron-Blooded Lord by his name without hesitation, but this was the first time I'd heard someone openly insult him.
I asked cautiously, "Excuse me, but are you the underground library's librarian?"
"I do hold that title as well," she replied calmly.
She then seated herself atop the mountain of books and reached for a book floating on the surface of the water, drawing it into her pale hands.
Flipping through the pages, she said, "You were the one who requested access to the library."
"Yes."
"What are you looking for?" she inquired.
"Information about the demon kings."
Perhaps she hadn't heard this from the Iron-Blooded Lord, judging by the way her gaze shifted from her book to me.
"Demon kings," she echoed.
"Yes."
"With your skills, you shouldn't be talking about such beings," she remarked.
That was probably true.
I stayed silent, so she continued, "Do you mean to say that even though you're young, you still belong to a Great family?"
Not exactly. What happened at this training camp had taught me about demons and the church, but my interest in demon kings stemmed more from Senior Brother He Lou.
"Nothing is more dangerous than premature knowledge," she warned. "You scored thirty-five points for solving the questions I prepared. You may borrow books worth that amount."
Ah, so this is how things work.
It seemed the mage hadn't just designed the difficult questions to weed out intruders. Of course, considering the penalty of losing a body part for each wrong answer, I couldn't say she was particularly kind-hearted.
"How many books can I borrow with thirty-five points?" I asked.
"It depends on the book you want. Each one has its value." She extended a hand gracefully, almost theatrically. "This is the Tomb of Forbidden Books. The books you're after, those about demon kings, are kept here. But beware—the danger is especially high among the forbidden books. Even the least valuable book costs at least ten points."
She paused briefly. "Child, you must be a martial artist if you carry the Badniker blood. With your score, you could borrow any number of practical training methods or martial arts books. Yet, you still seek books on demon kings?"
It was a tempting offer for any martial artist, but I nodded calmly. "That's right."
" Hmm... Very well. What kind of demon king do you seek information on?"
"The Colorless Demon King," I answered.
"What exactly do you want to know?"
"Everything."
The mage immediately responded, "That's insufficient."
"Pardon?"
"Boy, it seems you haven't heard anything about this place."
She waved her hand, and a strange swarm of lights started to swirl around her. It resembled fireflies but gave off the same feeling as the dokkaebi[1] I'd seen on Spirit Mountain.
In any case, this swarm of lights brightened the surroundings, allowing me to finally see the true scale of the space.
"The total number of books here is between 200,000 and 300,000," she revealed.
"Ah..." I realized at a glance that this underground space was far bigger than I'd imagined.
The faint bluish glow that touched the stagnant water gave it the appearance of moonlit water in the dead of night.
The mage continued, "It isn't a small number. Among these, there are likely more than 1,000 books on the Colorless Demon King. Even if we calculate the minimum value of ten points per book, you would need 10,000 points to borrow them. But with your score of only thirty-five points, it isn't enough."
"I see."
The collection was far more extensive than I had expected.
At this point, I needed a moment to gather my thoughts. Senior Brother He Lou... What exactly should I ask about the Colorless Demon King? His appearance, personality, traits, martial arts, weapons...
Ironically, I probably knew more about Senior Brother He Lou than anyone else in this world. But that didn't mean I could ignore the knowledge stored here. The person I knew well was the First Ultimate Martial Sword, He Lou, Bai Luguang's eldest disciple—not the Colorless Demon King.
Since I needed time to think, I shifted the conversation. "Do you know anything about divine beasts?"
"Why do you ask?"
"I asked the family head about a divine beast contract. He mentioned five divine beasts, and I chose the snake," I answered.
"Why did you choose the snake?" she asked, intrigued.
"I thought it would suit me." I turned slightly, and the mage fell silent.
After a brief pause, I added, "I heard you're knowledgeable about the snake. Can you arrange a contract for me?"
A sinister laugh escaped the mage, making my fists clench involuntarily. Unlike the languid, ethereal presence she had shown earlier, this laugh carried clear malice.
"Did Delac say that?"
"Yes."
"Did he say anything else?" she pressed.
I recalled my conversation with the Iron-Blooded Lord. "He mentioned that since Black Fairy Kuset, no one with the Badniker blood has contracted with the black snake."
"That's right. I have no intention of contracting with anyone."
I? The realization hit me. "You mean to say..."
"Seems like Delac didn't tell you anything about me." Her smile split like a crescent moon, her hair swaying as if it had a life of its own. It soon transformed into dozens of snakes.
This wasn't a metaphor. Snakes surrounded me, their long tongues flicking.
The situation was clearly dangerous, but all I could think about was how I kept getting tangled with snakes ever since the Jewel Mountains.
"My name is Lise Ladygoth Ol Haimud. The serpent dragon that roams the deepest darkness. The mage of the night sky, untouched by even the seven colors that crossed the sky."
I'd heard the name Lise Ladygoth before, but what caught my attention was her middle name: Ol. As far as I knew, only one race on the continent had been granted that middle name—a race now extinct, the ancestors of the Badnikers.
"Black fairy," I muttered.
So, is Lise Ladygoth a mage, a divine beast, or a black fairy? What a mix.
Lise cut through my thoughts. "Enough about the contract. Let's talk about the demon king again."
It was the attitude of someone brushing off an annoying, uninvited guest.
I considered pressing the issue, but ultimately, the divine beast wasn't my true objective. The demon king was.
Therefore, I asked, "Could you perhaps tell me about him directly, instead of lending the books?"
"What do you mean?"
"I've heard that a good librarian's duty begins with reading every book in their care. I'm certain you've read everything here," I replied.
"On what basis?"
Because it looks like there's nothing else to do here, so you must've gone through most of the collection.
I kept that to myself and said instead, "It is because the family head told me you are the underground library's librarian. As you may know, his standards are strict. If an employee doesn't meet them, he'll never acknowledge them. Yet he called you the librarian without hesitation."
"You trust Delac's judgment?"
"From what I know, the family head is the most impartial person in the Badnikers. That's why..." I spoke cautiously, aware that she could take offense. "Would it be possible for you to compile the information I need and share it directly with me?"
There was a brief silence before Lise chuckled. "You have a smooth tongue. Everyone else who's visited here so far has been distracted by the forbidden books, yet you show respect for the librarian profession, not for me. It's not very Badniker-like. It's kind of funny."
The black snakes, which had been staring at me, dissolved into hair strands and sank into the water. The pressure I'd felt moments ago vanished. Only then did I let out an inward sigh of relief.
Finally, she said, "Fine. Then, guided by my own dogma and prejudice, I'll give you information on the Colorless Demon King—limited to what your thirty-five points can afford."
"If I have questions as you go, may I ask for clarification?" I ventured.
"Do so," Lise replied calmly. "First of all, the Colorless Demon King is the most unique of the demon kings. No one has ever seen his face due to the jet-black armor that surrounds his body, but in form and physique, he is closest to a human."
Armor. I hadn't seen it during our time in Hell, but I wondered if he usually wore something like that.
"I know that he hasn't formed a faction even in Hell. He has no territories and moves alone. It's also said that no faction worshiping the Colorless Demon King exists within the church anymore," she noted.
That caught me by surprise. "Does that mean... Has it become a completely separate faction from the church?"
"Not quite. They don't interact often, but there are still some ties. They also obey the Dark Pope's orders to some extent. But unlike the others, they aren't particularly active," she explained.
"I see."
"The faction that follows the Colorless Demon King is the smallest and most secretive. They're harder to find than other church members. Their relationship with the demon king is one-sided. Even a priest can't communicate with him directly."
The stream of valuable information exceeded my expectations.
So there are still some church members who follow my senior brother, even if only a few.
To me, he would always be Senior Brother He Lou. Hearing some people worshiped him as a god left me with complicated feelings.
I would like to meet them someday.
Of course, finding ordinary church members was difficult enough. Finding a Colorless church member, the fewest and most secretive group, was almost impossible. Still, I wondered if I would run into them at least once before I confronted Senior Brother He Lou in earnest.
It's just a hunch with no basis.
I pondered this, then recalled Tantara, whom I had seen in Hell. "What's his relationship like with the other demon kings?"
"Neither good nor bad. That's pretty standard for demon kings in general."
"Then do you know the Colorless Demon King's goal?"
"Nothing is known at this time," she replied flatly.
"Okay."
"And finally, regarding where the Colorless Demon King currently resides."
I was stunned by the words. Is she going to tell me this too?
Unexpectedly, Lise's next words struck with a force nothing else could match."The Colorless Demon King is currently at Spirit Mountain."
1. Mythical creatures in Korean folklore, often described as goblins or mischievous spirits with supernatural abilities. ☜